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Foreign language courses allow entry into the subjectivity of the language on its own cultural and linguistic grounds, allowing for a more profound redefinition of culture. The Department of Modern Languages provides Chinese language courses for the purpose of general education and in support of other college programs.

For the college’s course catalog, please visit the Courses section. For courses currently offered, please visit the Schedule of Classes.

Beginning Chinese I (CHIN-111)

A comprehensive introductory course in modern standard Chinese through the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation and the four tones as well as the basic grammatical patterns.

Beginning Chinese II (CHIN-112)

A comprehensive introductory course in modern standard Chinese through the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation and the four tones as well as the basic grammatical patterns.

Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature (CHIN-206)

Through close analysis of some of the most important recurrent themes, this course will examine how the Chinese and Japanese literary traditions reinvent and revitalize themselves in their development. Students will also study the distinctive features of the major genres in the two traditions.

Intermediate Chinese (CHIN-211)

Development of conversational skills. Comprehensive grammar will be the core of the course, along with further development of reading ability and more extensive oral practice. Prerequisite: 112.

Intermediate Chinese II (CHIN-212)

Further development of fluency in conversation and in reading. Emphasis on the students' ability to write Chinese characters through composition exercises. Prerequisite: 211.

Intermediate Topics in Chinese (CHIN-299)

A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.

Philosophical Taoism in Chinese Literature (CHIN-305)

This course examines a special group of Chinese texts that will not only enlighten, but also delight modern readers: ancient Taoist texts written in fascinating literary style, and a variety of literary works informed with Taoist spirit. No knowledge of Chinese is required. (Normally offered in the spring)

Advanced Chinese (CHIN-311)

This course is designed for students who have completed two years of college-level Chinese and are ready to move on from the intermediate to the advanced level. Besides the topics provided by the textbook, students will also work on conversation topics drawn from newspaper articles and other media sources on social-cultural issues in China. By the end of the semester, students should be able to comprehend Chinese used in various contexts, to write short essays, and to discuss subject-oriented issues. Prerequisite: Chinese 212 or equivalent.

Advanced Chinese (CHIN-312)

This course further develops students' basic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in mandarin Chinese. The emphasis is placed on vocabulary building and extended mastery of sentence structures of Modern Chinese through reading, writing, and related communicative activities. Prerequisite: Chinese 311 or equivalent.

Chinese Cinema in English: A Cultural and Literary Study (CHIN-340)

With the aid of modern critical theories, students will study the most representative works of Chinese cinema since the mid-1980s. By analyzing the origins, themes and styles of the films, students can hope to have a better understanding of the main cultural and literary trends in contemporary China and of modern Chinese society in general. The course will be conducted in English.